Wicked Flower (3 page)

Maybe it was time to leave the
game. Or maybe there was just enough time left for one more round.

Something told him it would be up
to the lady.

“I guess there’s no better time
than the present to find out,” he said to himself and pushed his sunglasses up
on top of his head.

Chapter Two

The sub shop’s smells used to be
some of Dani’s favorites. Now she could do with less baked wheat and pepperoni
and more of the peppermint mocha that crusted over the cappuccino machine’s
spout. But caffeine was off her list for the time being. She’d finished enough
medical assistant classes before dropping out to know what she needed to avoid
to give
this kid its best shot at being born healthy. Dani
headed to the cooler for
a bottled
water and then back
tracked to the snack aisle.

Grape licorice called to her. She
knew better but grabbed a package and a thing of peanut butter crackers. Not
the healthiest choices but she needed comfort and the crackers had some
protein. At least none of it would give the little one a buzz. Hurt feelings
pounded from her heart, making her face tense which she could feel in the tight
way she had her jaw clamped shut. Absentmindedly, she walked to the cashier
line. Thom’s email had been easy to memorize. It poked fun at her now as she
tried to block it out.

Dani looked to her right at the
crusted frosting and stray sprinkles where donuts had been squashed up against
their glass case. They were all gone now. Wouldn’t have been good choices for
her anyway…

Truckers needed
their sugar too, she guessed, and glanced around the always busy place.

She wished for about a dozen less
people to be crowding around her as she stood squished between the travel-size
toiletries and dusty bags of cat food and antacids. Her stomach rumbled and she
nearly cried again. The reminder that she needed to eat better, that her
stomach wasn’t exactly empty, forced her to fight for a grip.

But two seconds
into that thought and she felt someone brush past her, only the guy made sure
to graze her hip on the way by.
She ignored it. Not in the mood, Dani
simply pulled her arms in even closer to her sides and moved up one slot in the
line. Unbelievably however, she heard a conversation taking place behind her
that made her want to turn and slap someone. Instead she simply let out loud
enough to be heard, “Grow up.”

The guys behind her in line snorted
but she’d had it with their snickering. Yes, her ass was big and yes, her lips
too. It didn’t matter what she wore, there was no way to hide all her
blessings,
as Mrs. C liked to say. Dani
pulled down on her hoodie, as far as it would go. She’d have liked to have spun
around and decked the two who she assumed were new-school truckers from their
lack of manners, but she didn’t. Biting into her tongue, Dani knew a truck stop
brawl was not a good idea for a pregnant lady. She’d been ignoring taunts like
that from guys her whole life, no need to stoop to their level now.

Not even in the
state she was in.

Between blanking out through the
donut case and these jerks, Thom’s words crept back in.

Not
sure how else to say this Dani, but I met someone over here. The connection is
pretty fierce. You’d like her.
Didn’t want you to be
surprised when I come back.
Sorry. I understand if you’re pissed. What
you did for me before I left was incredible. I’ll always appreciate that. I
just…I really love this girl. You’re great too and I didn’t want to string you
along. At least this way you know. Please take care of yourself, Thom.

The worst part?
Dani knew Thom
had done the right thing in telling her and that left her anger and hurt
running rampant with nowhere to land. She had no idea what to do with it all.
She caught the feel of her lip starting to quiver and took a moment for a few
deep breaths. No way would she fall apart in this line. Dani had to focus on
something else.
Anything else.

Thom’s dismissal had her on edge
the same as it had that morning and that mixed with hormones the likes she’d
never dealt with before egged her to a dangerous edge. A low, droning chatter
filled the snack line. Dani turned to look at the intolerable guys behind her as
the line took a collective step forward.

She started to lay into
them,
really let them have it, when a thick, deep, male
voice pulsed out.

It vibrated. It was harsh and
bold and full of taunt.

It stole the words right from her
mouth.

“Shut your mouths, assholes.”

It was the out-of-towner she’d
pegged earlier whose bright white shirt stood out amongst the several darker,
dingier truck stop varieties of the crowd.
A
cursing
Superman,
she thought and
stared. Who would have known?

“She obviously doesn’t want to
hear it,” he said. He touched a fine finger to a pair of expensive looking
sunglasses sitting like a headband on top of his mass of dark waves. Up close,
the curls were as thick as his voice and the exact reason Dani was pregnant.

Her whole life, his type of male
was exactly her type and when she fell, she fell hard and fast. Her head ached
as she closed her eyes and shoved the thoughts out where they wouldn’t be so enticing.
What would it take to learn her lesson?

The two smart mouths seemed at a
loss for words now, Dani included. She opened her eyes, focused on getting her
things and getting gone. But one glance and she was there again. Was it the intimidating
height of the new guy or the unknown air he had of not being from around here? The
way his clothes looked like they cost more than what she made in a month taking
care of Mrs. C? When he folded his arms over his chest, she saw tattooed hands
and forearms that worked to warn her of his danger just enough. Did she thank
him for standing up to the two jerks? No. She knew better than to speak to him.
Clearly, he was out of her league and would just blow her off anyway.
I’m probably his good deed for the day.
She
was sure the ultra-rich did that, trying to get the balance right and all.

She just wanted
out of there.

All she had to do was pay for her
stuff, visit the restroom and then take the hell off. Dani righted herself to
face the cashier counter head on and concentrated on the back of the man in
front of her, studying the dates and locations of his concert t-shirt. But
jerks one and two started up again and this time she didn’t hear her rescuer
piping up on her behalf. No, all she heard this time, still too close behind
her,
was more mean teasing. “I bet she thought we actually
would have given her the time of day. Fuck her and her big ass. Busted out of
those pants lately?”

Dani stood ramrod stiff,
disbelieving their blatant cruelty. She couldn’t turn and face them this time
and hated the feeling that their stares were fixed on her ass as they let out
their harsh taunts. She wanted out of there. Forget it. She dropped her snacks
and water on a nearby shelf and abruptly left her place in line to go find
solace in the bathroom. A hot tear managed its way down her cheek. Quickly, she
wiped it away.

You’d like her… I really love this girl.

Dani opted to walk the length of the
truck stop, squeezing her hands as she went, bypassing the busy bathroom
closest to her, hopeful there was another one at the far end. Desperate, she picked
up her pace. Hunger pangs rumbled around and her stomach growled but right now
she needed a minute to regain her composure and hide.

Finally, she made it to the bathroom.
It sounded quiet enough that it could be empty and she let herself hang limply
over the sink for a moment. She stood there, hugging her face in her hands.

Honorable men,
shallow men, rude men and kind men.
What was wrong with her that she couldn’t
get on the same page with at least one of them? She was twenty-six years old.
Why hadn’t it happened yet? What was it about her that caught their attention
at first until they got bored and then left? She hated her body in that moment.
The fact that she attracted a certain type of attention, the
kind that called to the wrong kind of man.

Worse?

That she fell every single time.

Her Thom, who she’d thought cared
about her, was in love with some woman he was deployed with. How did Dani hate
a female soldier out fighting for her freedom? Couldn’t Thom at least have broken
her heart with someone less heroic? Now Dani was left behind with his baby
growing in her belly and guilt every time she tried to curse him for it. Four months
along, four months since he’d deployed.

What
you did for me before I left was incredible.

Dani’s head now slumped as she
gripped the sides of the sink. She turned on the faucet and let the cold water
cool her skin. She’d been so dumb, sleeping with him the one time, the night
before he left. Just in case he didn’t come home.
Her idea,
her insistence.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Why? Why? I don’t understand.
What is wrong with me?” she let out in frustration. Her head swam with
insecurity. Thank God she was alone. Surely this was an ugly sight and she didn’t
want to be seen.

****

Stefan had to pee in the worst
way. Finally, he found a toilet that wasn’t closed for cleaning. As he rounded
the entrance to the men’s, he caught the reflection of a bright yellow pant leg
poking out from the women’s. The ill-placed mirror probably got lots of
complaints from ladies wanting their privacy but he could kiss whoever had
screwed up and placed it so perfectly. There she stood, at the sink.

Fuck
my luck
.

Normally he didn’t make it his
habit to stalk women at truck stops, but he’d recognize the bright yellow
outfit and those shiny, colorful snakeskin clogs for a long time to come. Man,
she’d gotten a few deadly kicks in on that gas pump earlier in them.
Reminded him not to ever be on the receiving end.
At least not unprepared.
She had a definite fire inside. He
should be preparing to see his mom and everything that entailed, not picking up
on pump five’s vibes, but they were impossible to ignore. This peek was the
most excitement he’d felt on his and Will’s road trip. Slowly, he scraped his
teeth against his bottom lip, deciding.

At least he didn’t have to wonder
about one particular burning question anymore. This is where his mystery woman
had gone to. He’d had to leave her earlier while she’d been in line because
that’s all he needed was to make a scene and bitch slap those two dildos who’d
teased her. His hand had been seconds away from the taller one’s face. Hopefully
they’d heard his warning loud and clear and left her alone. He’d bent down in
the next aisle over to grab some gum and find some other cashier and when he’d
looked back up, she’d disappeared.

He
was contemplating going in there and checking on her right now, crazy as that
sounded. She’d stolen his attention right from the jump.

Stefan stood, glancing
around,
grateful no one had followed him. He was rarely this
lucky. He thought about the dark eyes and the angry kicks. How she’d treated
him just like any other stranger, unaffected by him, but so obviously affected
by something.

He’d pee and then if she was still
in there, he didn’t know what exactly then, but a friendly gesture of checking
in on her didn’t seem so wrong. It’s what Trista would have expected him to do
and he loved
Tris
like a sister. He and the rest of
the guys still missed the hell out of her now that she was no longer the
sheriff that kept their asses in line on a daily basis.
Better
known to the rest of the world as a personal assistant.
But after the
trauma she’d gone through for them, Stefan was happy Trista had made her exit
when she did. Now she was in Tennessee too, married to Jaxon’s cousin. Maybe it
really was the kinder, gentler place where LA’s bad boys went to become good
men.
And women.

Stefan pissed,
then washed his hands and dried them using the super blower.

Trying not to be noticed or taken
for a
perv
, he glanced back at the mirror but didn’t
see the yellow pant leg again and the colorful shoe.

He ducked in the
entrance more and hunched over to see if any legs occupied the stalls. Maybe
she was a clean freak and liked to wash before and after doing her business.

There, in the
first stall. She appeared to be the only one. He poked his head in further,
knowing Will was most likely taking his time in the gift shop. Stefan had a few
minutes just to make sure this one was okay. He half expected to find her
kicking something.

“Hey,” he snuck
in and tapped on the stall door.
“Hey, sweetheart, in the
yellow.”

At first there
was just silence.

“This is the women’s,” she called
out. The edge in her voice was hard to miss and even harder to ignore.